Holy Cross Hospital in Chicago Lawn, affiliated with Sinai Chicago, is introducing an upgraded emergency room. Worries persist about potential reductions in Medicaid funding.

CHICAGO (WLS) — Holy Cross Hospital on Chicago’s Southwest Side is debuting a renovated emergency room.

It could help save lives by bringing critical care to that part of the city.

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The hospital is located at 2701 W. 68th St. in Chicago Lawn.

Hospital officials say the effort to renovate the emergency room space has been decades in the making and a part of the ongoing efforts to deliver excellent patient care to the community.

New emergency triage rooms and waiting areas are just a few of the renovations completed so far.

The five-month-long project cost $800,000, but was partially covered by private donations.

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Supporters of the project say the upgraded space will not only make for faster and smoother transitions, but also provide patients and their families with a less stressful experience.

As a part of Sinai Chicago, a private nonprofit health care system operating on the city’s West and Southwest sides, Holy Cross sees roughly 4,000 emergency room visits every month.

And while the community hospital celebrates this latest milestone, concerns remain about how possible cuts to Medicaid will affect their ability to provide care to marginalized populations.

“Yes, we are concerned. Everybody is at risk who deals with a majority Medicaid. Seventy percent of our population is Medicaid, and that’s similar for the other safety net hospitals. And, yes, there’s concern, and we hope we end up on the right side of doing what is right,” Sinai Chicago President and CEO Dr. Ngozi O. Ezike said.

Hospital officials are looking for other ways to meet the needs of the community. They say the first step is doing what they do best: providing great medical care.

“So many of our older Black residents call this space their medical home, and so to be able to create and foster space for them while also opening the door and inviting a whole new kind of community, where their needs are met,” said Jasmine Serrano, with Southwest Organizing Project.

The renovated emergency triage area officially opens Wednesday.